The Giants are walking into Lincoln Financial Field as favorites, and that alone says plenty about how far the Eagles have fallen.
That’s the backdrop for Sunday’s matchup, with New York visiting Philadelphia while the NFC East looks flipped on its head. The Giants sit on top, the Eagles are battered at the bottom, and Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation didn’t sugarcoat what’s gone wrong when asked to assess the state of the team.
“There’s no denying that this season is a stinker. The Eagles are arguably the worst team in the NFL.
There isn’t just one reason why that’s the case. When you’re this bad, it truly takes a team effort.”
Gowton pointed to a mess on offense, where Sean Mannion and Chris Kuper are trying to steer a unit that hasn’t held up and Nick Sirianni hasn’t found answers. Jalen Hurts helped carry the Eagles through their first two wins, but his play dropped off after that and he’s now out for the season. On the other side of the ball, Vic Fangio’s defense has not come close to meeting expectations, even after the team invested heavily in Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Jonathan Greenard.
He also said Howie Roseman’s offseason hasn’t produced many moves that are helping right now. The one bright spot he mentioned was the A.J. Brown trade, though the first-round pick from that deal won’t arrive until 2028.
Even with all that, Gowton still sees a path back for the franchise, leaning on the Eagles’ recent history of bouncing back after firing a head coach in 2012, 2015 and 2020. He said Jeffrey Lurie and Roseman have corrected course quickly before, and he wouldn’t be shocked if this season becomes the reset point for another contender. He also noted the bigger picture: two Super Bowl wins in the last nine years.
The Hurts situation remains a sore spot. Gowton said, “It certainly doesn’t look or feel great.”
He added that some people around Hurts were unhappy with how it was handled, while stressing that he doesn’t know all the details. His hope is that the team truly had Hurts’ health and safety in mind and that the quarterback is getting better.
When asked which Giants player he’d steal for Philadelphia, Gowton said he wasn’t focused on salvaging this season. He mentioned Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Likely and Arvell Reese as possibilities, but ultimately landed on Abdul Carter. Gowton said Carter ranks top 20 in pressures generated and has been better than his sack total suggests, while also fitting the Eagles’ long-term need for edge help.
As for the trade deadline mindset, Gowton expects Roseman to sell off players who won’t be around next season. He named Riq Woolen, Hollywood Brown and Moro Ojomo as obvious candidates, and said the Eagles should at least listen on more valuable pieces like Saquon Barkley, even though a report has already said they won’t move him. He also pointed to the Cam Jurgens trade as proof Roseman should chase value wherever he can find it.
The betting line is the part that really drives home the weirdness. The Giants are favored at the Linc, something that hasn’t happened for the Eagles at home since 2009. Gowton said the historical context makes it wild, especially with Philadelphia having gone 21-6 against New York in the 27 meetings since he started covering the team in 2013.
As for what the Giants need to do to win, his answer was blunt: “Pretty much just show up.” He said the Eagles’ offense has been awful, their defense has had only scattered moments, and he doesn’t see much reason to believe in them until they actually prove otherwise. He also expects John Harbaugh to have his team ready and fired up, while the Giants come in rested off a bye and the Eagles are dealing with injuries after a Sunday night road game.
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For a team that has spent too much time looking for reliable playmaking on the outside, Nabers has given New York a needed jolt and a clear focal point in the passing game. It is also a reminder of how much his return matters after the ACL injury that cost him most of his second season, with the Giants now seeing just how central he can be to what they want to build. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Running Back Search Just Hit A Complicated New Twist
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Baltimores stance adds another layer to the picture, with the Ravens making it clear they are not looking to part with Derrick Henry. And while Vita Vea has surfaced as a potential trade target, his recent extension makes that path seem like a long shot. For the Giants, the challenge is the same one it has been all along: finding a meaningful upgrade without overpaying in a market where the obvious names are proving difficult to pry loose. [Read more 🡒]
J.J. McCarthy Is Raising The Stakes For These Giants Fast
The Giants moved quickly to shore up quarterback depth when Jaxson Dart went down, sending a fifth-round pick to Minnesota for J.J. McCarthy and hoping the change would steady the position. Early returns have at least given them reason to pause and look closer, because McCarthy has already shown enough poise and efficiency to make the deal feel more than like a simple stopgap.
What makes this interesting for New York is how fast the stakes can change when a backup starts looking like a real option. The comparison to Baltimores Jacoby Brissett move is a reminder that these quarterback swings are often judged long after the initial injury, and McCarthys early play has already put the Giants in a spot where his value could extend well beyond filling in for Dart. [Read more 🡒]